Over the weekend, I wandered into a local art gallery and saw a gorgeous solo show by Matt Shlian. He’s known for creating intricate folds in paper, building elaborate forms and patterns out of the simplest materials. I loved his work.
I also loved a story that was told in a description of one of his pieces. Years before, Matt Shlian and his young child had cared for two chrysalises, each with a caterpillar inside. Together, they awaited two butterflies. But in the end, only one butterfly emerged.
Shlian was trying to consider his words carefully, so he could explain that one of the caterpillars had died. But before he could speak, his child said, “Dad, it’s OK — some caterpillars stay caterpillars.”
And that was the name of the piece: Some Caterpillars Stay Caterpillars.
The description sign added, “Though Matt built up the excitement for the transformation of caterpillar to butterfly, his child recognized it’s a miracle that we even have caterpillars. He loved this idea that it’s OK that some things transform and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes there is no magic or the magic is in the ordinary.”
If something has not transformed yet, or even
If it never will, or even
If it once existed, but then, it ended,
It still matters.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 